During the late 1950s Fidel Castro’s revolutionary forces hid among the dirt-poor farmers of the Sierra Masetra Mountains. Batista’s forces hunted the small band of ill-armed rebels. Commandante Che was in charge of discipline and regularly executed spies, turncoats, and deserters to save the movement. Eutímio Guerra, a peasant army guide first victim, admitted to having directed the Batista air force to bombed the clumn as well as betraying peasant sympathetic to the cause.
The price of his treason was 10,000 Cuban Pesos or $10,000.
Che executed the traitor with a single shot to the head with a .32.
The other day I mentioned Che to the young son of a Cuban emigre.
“Che was a murderer.”
Killer was probably more apt, because after the Revolution’s triumph Che conducted trials against the previous regime’s most notorious functionaires as well as the repressive officers of police and army. Most were executed without mercy and Che claimed the only way to defend the Revolution was to execute its enemies.
I agree with him.
They numbered between 55 and 122.
Che personally supervised the summary shootings.
My friend claimed Che killed thousands.
There is no chance of convincing him otherwise.
People believe what they want to believe.
Same as me.
